Electric toothbrushes are no longer a luxury item. They are already part of the inventory of most bathrooms. And that’s understandable. The tedious work of daily brushing is greatly facilitated by the electric toothbrush. You still have to hold the brush and move it from one tooth to the next – but the rest is done by the brush head.
What is an electric toothbrush?
Electric toothbrushes are mostly rotary toothbrushes. The cleaning performance is to a small extent better than from normal toothbrushes. Electric toothbrushes differ from regular toothbrushes in that they have a moveable attachment brush. The electric toothbrush was invented in Switzerland in the 1950s. Dr. Philippe-Guy Woog developed the toothbrush for people with motor disabilities as well as people with braces. The first toothbrushes still had a cable as the power supply. It was not until the 1960s that toothbrushes were manufactured with rechargeable batteries. But more important than the power supply is how the current is conducted within the brush. To avoid a short circuit, all toothbrushes are based on inductive charging technology. Only when the two parts, the handle and the attachment brush, are joined together can the current flow.
Structure and function
Electric toothbrushes are divided into two parts. The upper part is the detachable attachment brush and the lower part is the handle. For a rechargeable toothbrush, the handle is placed in a charging station to recharge the battery. With a battery-powered toothbrush, the batteries in the handle can be replaced. Electric toothbrushes also differ in their brushing technique. With battery toothbrushes, you can choose between rotating-oscillating and sonic technology. Oscillating means that the head swings from vertical to horizontal, while rotating describes a circular motion. Meanwhile, battery-powered toothbrushes remove plaque through their vibration and sideways movements.
Shapes, types and types
Removable attachment brushes come in a variety of forms. Sonic toothbrush heads differ little in shape from traditional toothbrushes. Both are oval and elongated. Meanwhile, electric toothbrush heads are roundish. With the exception of sonic toothbrushes, most electric toothbrushes operate at a speed of 5,000 to 30,000 revolutions per minute. Sonic toothbrushes operate at 30,000 revolutions and higher. The hardness of the brush head should also be considered when purchasing. If in doubt, soft bristles are preferable. With the popularity of electric toothbrushes, the creativity of manufacturers is also increasing. Battery toothbrushes now already come in many cases with at least one of the following additional offers: Mouth shower, timer (for the 2 minutes minimum brushing time), interdental attachment for cleaning the interdental spaces and cleaning attachment for the tongue. Furthermore, there are manufacturers who offer UV disinfectors for the brush heads. With the help of UV light, germs are killed on the brush head. This makes sense in the warm and humid environment of the bathroom. Also, brush heads should be changed every 4 to 6 weeks.
Medical and health benefits
The most common question regarding electric toothbrushes is certainly: are they better than conventional toothbrushes? There are medical studies that say electric toothbrushes performed only slightly better than conventional toothbrushes. However, these studies assume that people use conventional toothbrushes properly. In most cases, this is not the case. And here lies the advantage of electric toothbrushes. These are easier to use. Because the toothbrush does the work, you don’t need your own pressure when holding the brush, for example. Brushing your teeth too hard or with too much pressure is one of the main mistakes that is always picked up by dentists. In case of too much pressure, not only plaque is removed but also parts of the healthy tooth. Electric toothbrushes may perform marginally better in studies, but the ease of use, the feeling of intense cleaning and the massaging effect on the gums created by the vibrations, make electric toothbrushes a popular means of oral hygiene among users. This is also reflected in the prices nowadays. Electric toothbrushes are still more expensive than conventional toothbrushes in terms of price – but the difference is nowhere near as high as it was a few years ago.Only with the replaceable brush heads consumers feel that the price does not correspond to the value.
